Just when you thought the only way to end a hectic day was to head to the city’s most popular waffle food truck, Henny’s, the city gives you something more to think about. That’s right! There’s a new food truck in town, which is all set to charm Puneites with its fresh and crunchy waffles. And it’s called Waffle Window!

I remember my first memories of Pune. As a child, I’d travel from Hyderabad to Mumbai to visit my aunt in Mumbai for winter holidays. Our train had a 15-minute stop at Pune station at eight in the morning. Cold winter mornings and steaming hot vada pavs. I hadn’t set foot in the city and I already loved Pune! (there’s something about this city, isn’t there?)

Fast forward to 2005 and the city finally brought me here for work. It was still a sleepy little town. But it had a strong food identity that managed to bridge local and international food. (even back then!). For a Hyderabad boy who took food seriously, Pune’s food scene was a veritable treasure hunt.

There were audible gasps as knives flew and a fire erupted, with flames almost touching the roof. “I hope this is not too hot for you!” a mischievous, smiley face popped up from the behind the screen of flames. Knife-juggling, setting things on fire and Bruno Mars – not the first things one would expect at an Asian dine-out. All of this and more is what we experienced at the Teppan Fest with Chef Vadim Shin.

Organized at Zen, The Leela Palace, Bangalore, this interactive culinary journey was one of the many Chef Vadim has been curating since the time he moved to Bangalore from Moscow, back in 2009. Blown away by his exquisite showmanship, the beautifully plated Teppanyaki treats and the soulful singing (yes, you read that right, singing!), we couldn’t resist wanting to know more about his journey so far. And that’s exactly what we did! Say hello to our next #Forker, Chef Vadim Shin.

If you step out of home dreaming about doing some great shopping at Westend Mall, now you can dream of a great cup of Irani chai too! A new cafe by the name of Cafe Good Times is opening up next to Westend Mall in Pune’s Aundh area very soon. Serving the classic items you’d find at a Puneri katta such as chai, coffee, bun maska, bun omelet and Maggi, this cafe’s menu will also come with its own variety of pizzas, pasta and Chinese food items.

The moment you think of travel, the first thing that comes to your mind is money. The flight or train tickets, the accommodation, food, local traveling; you know that every thing is going to come with a cost. So you tend to just get over the thought and continue with your regular routine. But guess what? You don’t always need to do that! A little planning and budgeting can help you accomplish your trip in a set amount. And no, I’m not talking about compromising on the things you do. It’s all about making the right choices!

This Friendship’s Day, we are taking you down the road of nostalgia, recounting all the places in Pune which you would have spent with your gang. Serving as a rite of passage from your school days to the adult you’ve now become, these places are not only iconic but also play along on the friendship theme. How? Read on to find out!

You know he/she is the one for you when they manage to hit your sweet spot. Well, guess what? Our next #Forker IS the SweetSpot! Make way for Samiya Ahmed, a Patisserie Chef from Le Cordon Bleu, London. Curating, experimenting and creating new mouth-watering delicacies each day, Samiya has been successfully running her home-baking business under the name of SweetSpot in Pune for three years now. She is well known for her French delicacies and absolutely enjoys the time she spends baking! Her desserts are each better than the other; so much so that most people who try them want to marry her! Too bad for them, we have already called our dibs on her. Haha!

We got together with Samiya to get an insight into her journey so far and understand her future plans. And here’s what we gathered: